anime illustration via Thread head Illustration Team

5 Anime Characters Based on Pro-Wrestling Characters Across the World

by jcreneo 09/04/2020 0 Comment

Both pro wrestling and anime have a lot in common. In fact, both worlds seem to borrow from each other. Shockingly, members of each community seemingly never know what the cross-over happens. However, we plan on merging the worlds and finding out which anime characters are based on pro wrestling.

Udo based on Stan Hansen

Stan “The Lariat” Hansen is no stranger to anime and manga. This legendary wrestler has appeared in several anime. Stan Hansen was the base for the minor character named Udo for the 20th Dragon Ball movie called “Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound”.

This is not the first time Stan Hansen appeared in the propriety of Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragon Ball), he also appeared on the cover of the manga Dr. Slump in its chapter “The Great Arale-Chapter: Part 2”.

Minoru Kazeno Based on Minoru Suzuki

Minoru Kazeno’s design is clearly based on that of the legendary pro-wrestler Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki himself was the voice actor behind Kazeno.

Minoru Kazeno appeared on the 336 episode m in One Piece. Minoru Suzuki is also a big fan of the One Piece franchise.

Spandam’s Mask Based on Mankind’s Mask

While this Spandam does not resemble physically Mick Foley, they do share a lot of similarities in terms of the design of their masks. Spandam made his debut on episode 249 of One Piece.

Misawa based on Mitsuharu Misawa

This minor character’s design and especially his trucks are a tribute to legendary Pro-Wrestler Mitsuharu Misawa. This character made his first appearance on Space Dandy in episode 19.